Sen. Moran: Economic Mobility Debate Gives Opening for GOP

Sen. Jerry Moran (R., Kan.), who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the burgeoning debate over economic opportunity for Americans is one Republicans should seize on to clearly define their vision for helping poorer and middle-class Americans.

“It’s very beneficial for us to talk about the things we are for, the things we care about, and most importantly how they impact the lives of people around the country,” Mr. Moran said in an interview.

His comments came one day before Democrats and Republicans plan a number of speeches in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty and the same day the White House released its report on poverty. Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), both of whom are considering whether to run for the White House in 2016, are among the lawmakers who plan to weigh in.

The White House and Democrats have blasted many Republicans for not agreeing to raise the minimum wage and for blocking an extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Mr. Moran said Democrats are trying to use this debate to redirect attention away from the health-care law, but he said Republicans should be eager to talk about how their proposals will help economic opportunities for all income levels.

“I suppose there are different views, different philosophies about how to allow everybody the opportunity to move upward on the economic scale, and so there are legitimate philosophical and policy differences,” he said. “That’s to be expected to a diverse democracy like ours. But we ought to do everything we can to avoid this being the political show that is trying to categorize Republicans and Democrats in ways that is only useful for partisanship.”

Mr. Moran has worked on bipartisan bills that would create new incentives for people to save money and also incentivize more business startups, measures that he said would both improve the opportunity gap.

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